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Maybe this isn't the place for my comment but I'm going to say it anyways!

I haven't spent an extensive amount of time on Meinl Weston tubas but the time I have hasn't been the most productive or constructive to MY playing.

I've owned a 5450 and honked on several 6450's.

The 5450:
-Great response
- So-so intonation
- Amazing low range response until around the low F# and down. I found it pretty stuffy.

The 6450:
-Even better response
-Better intonation
-Every not seems to just pop out.

My only "beef" with both of these tubas is the sound.

I'm always thinking about the kind of sound I want to make. When I was a younger player, listening to the old NYP recordings, I decided that's what I wanted to sound like!

But then my sound concept changed. ( see: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43687 )

I started studying with a player who spent a large amount of time in Europe in the Berlin Philharmonic Academy and studying with Mel Culbertson as well.

Listening to Alexander Von Puttkamer playing with the Berliner Philharmoniker changed how I apporach the tuba and how I want to sound.

That Meinl Weston line of horns didn't have the sound I craved.

The B&S tubas, while a little harder to get to respond like a 5450 or 6450 HAVE that wonderful bright, colourful tuba sound.

Anyways, end rant.

Thanks.

It makes perfect sense. The design of the mouth pipe is probably the biggest factor in how a good professional Tuba plays.

Kory101 wrote: Listening to Alexander Von Puttkamer playing with the Berliner Philharmoniker changed how I apporach the tuba and how I want to sound.

The Meinl Weston line of horns didn't have the sound I craved.

Kory -

You do know that Mr. Puttkamer's contrabass tuba is a Meinl-Weston 197 'Hilgers' BBb, don't you?
The B&S PT-6 is a fine horn, but it sounds nothing like a M-W 197. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying your old M-W 5450 "Thor" was probably closer in sound to a 197 than your PT-6.

You have to remember - tubas can sound VERY different out in the hall than in your hands.

too "I'd like an extra l-o-n-g 45SL-P mouthpipe for my M-W 2155R" ba

tooba wrote:

Kory101 wrote: Listening to Alexander Von Puttkamer playing with the Berliner Philharmoniker changed how I apporach the tuba and how I want to sound.
The Meinl Weston line of horns didn't have the sound I craved.

Kory -
You do know that Mr. Puttkamer's contrabass tuba is a Meinl-Weston 197 'Hilgers' BBb, don't you?
The B&S PT-6 is a fine horn, but it sounds nothing like a M-W 197. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying your old M-W 5450 "Thor" was probably closer in sound to a 197 than your PT-6.

That reminds me when I asked a guy with a new PT6P how he liked it- "I love it. It gives me that German sound that I wanted." Nothing's more German than a piston C tuba apparently (same guy doesn't like classic Miraphones; I don't that much either, but I still like them more than PT's ).

Kory -

You do know that Mr. Puttkamer's contrabass tuba is a Meinl-Weston 197 'Hilgers' BBb, don't you?

I should clarify, I was talking specifically about the 5450 and 6450.

While I disagree with your assumption that a 5450 sounds closer to a 197 than a PT6, I will agree that all horns sound different in a practice room than in a hall, but every player sounds different as well.

With the equipment I have, I am easier able to duplicate that sound I want to hear coming out of the bell.

When I had the 5450 and PT6 is in my hands for a couple days they sounded WORLDS different, even in a practice room.

Agree to disagree,
Kory

BTW, the Meinl Weston 197 BBb tuba is a copy/clone of a Boland & Fuchs BBb Nazi SS tuba found in the archives of the Opera House by Hilgers........
Mark